Electronic mail (“email”) has become one of the most popular forms of communication between parties over long and short distances. Using one or more computer networks, such as local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs) and/or the Internet, emails can be used to not only transmit textual messages but also computer files. These computer files can include any computer file, such as a word processing file, an image file, an audio file or a video file. While a textual message is transmitted as an integrated part of an email, a computer file is usually transmitted as an attachment to the email so that a recipient receives the computer file along with the textual message of the email.
Typically, a separate email application running in a computer system is commonly used to send and receive emails. A conventional email application allows a user to enter a textual message into the body of an email, as well as to attach one or more computer files to the email. The attaching of a computer file to an email using a conventional email application involves first locating that computer file to be attached in a storage medium, e.g., the hard drive of the computer system, and then entering a command to attach the computer file to the email.
Some computer applications, such as word processing applications, include an email feature that allows contents displayed in an application environment to be transmitted as an email. However, the email feature of these computer applications typically involves using the default email application installed in the computer system to send the displayed contents as emails. Using the email application, the displayed contents in a particular application may be sent as an attachment or as the message body of an email. Again, one or more computer files can also be transmitted along with the email as attachments.
A concern with conventional email applications and computer applications with an email feature is that a user is significantly limited to what can and cannot be sent as an email. As an example, a user cannot select a text object from a word processing application and a drawn object from a drawing application to send both objects in an email without moving one or both object to a single application environment. In fact, a single graphic object among multiple graphic objects in a single application environment cannot generally be selected and sent as an email. As another example, a user cannot send the entire application environment, including tool bar or menu elements that may be customized with respect to position and/or type, as an email.
Another concern with conventional email applications and computer applications with an email feature is that performing advanced email operations can be complex and challenging. As an example, creating a group of recipients to send multiple copies of email may involve navigating through a number of pull-down menus, selecting an appropriate entry and then selecting the desired recipients to be added to the group. Such procedure can be daunting for a novice user who is not familiar with an email application or an email feature of a particular computer application.
In view of these concerns, what is needed is a system and method for sending and receiving emails that provides more flexibility with respect to selection of items to be sent as emails and is user friendly with respect to performing email operations.